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We asked the world's best chefs, cookbook authors, food writers, cooking-show hosts, and specialty-food purveyors to tell us where they love to eat. The answers are all over the map (literally!), but there's one thing all the places have in common: Every one of them is worth traveling to.

Pizzeria Bianco — Phoenix The way they raise their dough, the fire. ... A good pizza is minimalist, and they do it right (623 E. Adams St., 602/258-8300, pizza from $11). — Lidia Bastianich

Bon Ton Cafe — New OrleansLocals gravitate to the soulful cooking. They have dishes you don't find in most of the haute Creole restaurants, such as étouffées, proper Cajun-style bisques, and slow-cooked one-pot meals (401 Magazine St., 504/524-3386, entrées from $16). — John Besh

Tree House Pastry Shop and Café — Santa Fe, N.M.Everything they serve here is just sparkling fresh. The deep-dish quiches are something to dig into, and not at all stodgy (1600 Lena St., 505/474-5543, quiches from $13). — Deborah Madison

With teams using more than 100 unique apparatuses to launch globular projectiles a half-mile or more, the 27th annual World Championship Punkin Chunkin event is our pick as November’s Weird Festival of the Month.

Scott's BBQ — Hemingway, S.C.They cook whole hogs over open pits, slather on sauce with long-handled mops, and ferry the hogs to the cutting block on what looks like an old hospital gurney (27-34 Hemingway Hwy., 843/558-0134, sandwiches from $4). — John T. Edge

MIDWEST

Zingerman's Delicatessen — Ann Arbor, Mich.Nate's Nosh sandwich (chicken liver, corned beef, coleslaw, Swiss cheese, and Russian dressing on a roll) isn't on the menu anymore, but they'll make any of the old sandwiches upon request, and this one is a must (422 Detroit St., 734/663-3354, sandwiches from $6.50). —Gabrielle Hamilton

I appreciate places that know they're the best but are still nice. You find that kind of friendly cockiness at this art deco shack set on Lake Superior. I've never had a better malt in my life (716 E. Superior St., portlandmaltshoppe.com, open summers, malts from $6). — Danny Meyer

O'Connell's Pub — St. Louis
When your cheeseburger arrives, it just blows your mind. The toasted bun almost melts into the meat: They're really one. I have mine with a draft beer, fries, and onion rings (4652 Shaw Blvd., 314/773-6600, burgers from $5.25). — Danny Meyer

The Bite — Martha's Vineyard, Mass.The fried clams aren't cheap, but they're more than worth it if you combine eating them with a sunset on Menemsha Beach (29 Basin Rd., 508/645-9239, open summers, fried clams from $13). — Michael Pollan

Chiyono — New York City
The pork belly is amazingly good because it's properly braised and has lots of good fat. It's served in a clean broth with a thumb-smear of Japanese mustard on the side of the bowl (328 E. 6th St., 212/673-3984, entrées from $9.25). — Gabrielle Hamilton

Congee Village — New York City
You won't find better five-buck noodles anywhere in the city; try the soy-sauce chow mein (100 Allen St., 212/941-1818, noodles from $4.25). — David Chang

El Quinto Pino — New York City
There's a lady bartender with serious attitude who brings out small dishes and Spanish wines. I always have the pringá sandwich: slow-cooked pork with a hint of morcilla, a type of blood sausage (401 W. 24th St., 212/206-6900, tapas from $3). —David Tanis

Otafuku — New York City
This tiny stall in the East Village serves traditional Japanese street food like okonomiyaki, a savory flour pancake with cabbage and seafood, topped with a sweet sauce, and yakisoba, pan-fried noodles with vegetables and meat (236 E. 9th St., 212/353-8503, from $5). — Masaharu Morimoto

Big Mama's House of Soul — PittsburghBig Mama (Brenda Franklin) is known for her collard greens, ribs, and peach cobbler. She can also sing—sometimes she belts it out while she's working! (1603 Penn Ave., 412/471-2910, entrées from $8.50). — Lidia Bastianich

Gasthof Stanglwirt — Going, AustriaYou've probably never had dinner with a cow before, at least not as you do at this restaurant. The dining room is separated from the stable by a glass wall, so while you dine, you and the 25 dairy cows eye each other (Kaiserweg 1, A-6353, 011-43/5358-2000, entrées from $15.75). — Maximilian Riedel

La Frasca — Lauzacco, Italy
I stop at La Frasca, like the truckers do, and get a glass of tocai, a dry white from the neighboring vineyards (viale Grado 10, 011-39/043-267-5150, entrées from $9.25). — Lidia Bastianich

Ristorante La Pineta — Marina di Bibbona, Italy Luciano Zazzeri, the chef and owner, has his own boat, and his uncle and cousin take it out to catch fish for the restaurant. The spaghetti alle vongole (clams) is out of this world (via dei Cavalleggeri Nord 27, 011-39/058-660-0016, pasta from $24). — Alessia Antinori

Trattoria Masuelli San Marco — Milan, Italy The mother, the father, and the son all help out, and the dishes are so homey. Don't miss the especially delicious pork-and-cabbage stew (viale Umbria 80, 011-39/02-5518-4138, entrées from $19.50). — Darrell Corti

Trattoria da Giovanni — Trieste, ItalyStand at the counter next to a mortadella as big as a torpedo and watch Bruno Vesnaver grate horseradish onto slices of prosciutto di Praga that have been baked in a dough crust (via S. Lazzaro 14, 011-39/040-639-396, entrées from $7.75). — Lidia Bastianich

Cantina do Mori — Venice, Italy
Go in late morning for a prosciutto sandwich with Prosecco, in the afternoon for spicy sausage with a glass of Brunello, or in the evening for salt cod and a glass of valpolicella (San Polo 429, 011-39/041-522-5401, sandwiches from $4.50). — David Tanis

The Pancake Bakery — Amsterdam, The Netherlands The top spot for pannenkoek, Holland's signature pancake, best with bacon, cheese, and mushroom (Prinsengracht 191, 011-31/20-625-1333, pannenkoek from $7.25). — Danilo Zecchin

Monmouth Coffee Company — London, U.K.
They have an extensive selection of drip coffees from all around the world, and they make them to order. I get a cup with an espresso macchiato chaser (27 Monmouth St., 011-44/207-379-3516, macchiato $1.75). — Danny Meyer

Ton Ton — Tokyo, JapanCustomers at this yaki_tori pub sit on rickety stools as they drink and munch. Push yourself and try some of the chicken parts, such as heart, liver, or skin (2-1-10 Yurakucho, Chiyoda-ku, 011-81/3-3508-9454, dinner from $16.50). — Masaharu Morimoto